Creativity is many things: making mistakes, expression, having fun, inventing, experimenting, and so much more. It can be anything you want it to be. It can be created in so many ways; through art, music, books, clothes, and more. It brings beauty into this catastrophic world. It sends a message. It can be interpreted in a various amount of ways. It. Can. Be.

How do you express your creativity? I express my creativity the same way I express who I am.

I love sketching, though it has been quite a while since I picked up a pencil. I relish in the way my pencils flow across the pages of my sketch book. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I get when I get the picture that’s stuck in my head onto a piece of paper, it’s a feeling that I can’t really describe. Whether I am happy with the outcome or not, I like to surround myself with my creations. I pin as much as I can onto my walls in my bedroom (even the ones that are incomplete), the others are kept in the safety of my sketch books on my small bookshelf. My best work comes when I’m listening to music, feeling strongly about something (or my emotions are just out whack), after reading a marvelous book, or even sometimes when I’m terribly bored. Now I don’t like showing people my artwork, but that’s okay because being creative doesn’t mean everyone has to see it and those that do, well those people are pretty special.

Photography is another way in which I express my creativity. Just like sketching, photography has so much to work with. Unlike sketching, however, there are so many factors that have to be considered when taking pictures. One thing can make all the difference in what you’re aiming for, heck one thing can turn what you’re aiming for into something better than expected. The lighting, the angle, the filter, even the pose of a person can make a difference. My favorite filter to use is black and white, there’s something about black and white photos that call to me. I can’t explain how black and white photos breath a different type a beauty to me. One thing I cherish about photography, is how it can tell a story. There is one photographer whose work is admirable. Her name is Hannah Altman, she did a photo series which she entitles “And Everything Nice.” This is one of my favorite series because Altman captures the beauty of things society deems unladylike in a woman. She enhances these standards of the female body with glitter, showing that “the concept of girls invariably needing to seem attractive regardless of the actual situation” as she stated in her description on Tumblr. Photography brings a new viewpoint on certain topics and like reading, you can interpret it in many ways.

Though I certainly can’t stand clothes shopping, I really do like clothes! Clothes are another form of creative expression. It’s a great way to express not just yourself but also your creativity. Fashion designers create crazy and fabulous pieces of clothing all the time! it’s their way of creating. Us, non-fashion designers, use clothing to express who we are by wearing the creations. Whether you have money or not, the pieces of clothing you wear and the way you put them together is an expression of your creative side. I, personally, love wearing flannel shirts and blue jeans. During the winter season, I absolutely LOVE wearing scarfs and boots with all my outfits! (Scarfs are like my winter signature even though I only have like seven.)

So how will you express your creativity today? What is it that inspires you to be creative? Let me know. After all, the possibilities are endless…